Virginia Clark Johnson, dean emeritus of the NDSU College of Human Sciences and Education, is scheduled to receive the Board on Human Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award during the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities annual meeting. The meeting, to be held virtually, is set for Nov. 9-11.
“Being selected to receive this award was an unexpected surprise. What a wonderful gift to be recognized for doing something I really loved to do,” said Clark Johnson, who was dean for 22 years. “I think I was successful as a leader, but that success does not really belong to me. It belongs to all of the very special mentors, family and friends I have had throughout my life. My success also belongs to all of the people I have had the opportunity to work with – family, staff, students, colleagues and alumni.”
The award honors a nationally-recognized leader who has a significant history of promoting and advancing the human sciences. Nominees are individuals who serve or have served in significant faculty or administrative roles in higher education.
“This is a very prestigious and competitive award, so we are thrilled that she was selected,” said Margaret Fitzgerald, who succeeded Clark Johnson as dean of the college. “She was nominated by the leadership team in the NDSU College of Human Sciences and Education.”
Clark Johnson was nominated for the honor by Fitzgerald, professor and dean; Jill Nelson, professor and associate dean for leadership and professional development; Joel Hektner, professor and head of human development and family science; Yeong Rhee, professor and head of health, nutrition and exercise sciences; Chris Ray, associate professor and head of the School of Education; Rebecca Woods, associate professor and former head of apparel, design and hospitality management; and Jim Deal, associate dean for research and creative activity.
They said Clark Johnson was a role model for female faculty, served on the Commission on the Status of Women Faculty, helped implement a National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant and was a founder and contributor of the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance, known as Great Plains IDEA.
Under Clark Johnson’s leadership, the college went from no doctoral programs in 2003 to having 117 doctoral students and six programs by 2015 and greatly increased its capacity for research. In addition to serving as dean, she also was the assistant director of the Agricultural Experiment Station and the associate director of the North Dakota Extension Service.
Her vita lists more than 100 offices and committees with 26 professional associations. She also held positions on 24 boards, panels or councils.
“Virginia has produced an impressive body of work demonstrating productivity and innovation,” the nominators said. “As dean, she had a strong belief in shared leadership. She always empowered colleagues (locally and nationally) by encouraging them through her insightful, fresh perspectives. To her, some of the most meaningful work she did was the creation of platforms for others to be recognized in their fields. Her central role and leadership made her one of the most influential people in the country supporting and promoting human sciences.”
Clark Johnson retired from NDSU in 2015 and is now a trustee of the NDSU Foundation. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and her doctorate at Pennsylvania State University.
The APLU annual meeting is considered a premier gathering of senior leaders from the nation’s public research universities, land-grant institutions and state university systems. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Resilience and Equity.” It will include several keynotes addresses, along with interactive and concurrent sessions.
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